DE102020204043B4 - Vehicle electrical system with a processor network for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Vehicle electrical system with a processor network for a vehicle (10) for data processing and power distribution, - the processor network having at least a first processor unit (11), a second processor unit (12) and a third processor unit (13), the first processor unit having at least a first Processor (16; 19) and a first voltage source (22), the second processor unit at least one second processor (17; 20) and a second voltage source and the third processor unit at least one third processor (18; 21) and a third voltage source (24) and the processor units have in particular at least one interface to a plurality of vehicle sensors (26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31) and/or to a central data memory, - the at least three processor units (11, 12, 13) having at least three dielectric data lines (25.1, 25.2, 25.3) are connected in such a way that the processor units form nodes and the data lines (25.1, 25.2, 25.3) form edges of a circular graph.

Description

The present invention relates to an on-board network with a processor network for a vehicle for data processing and power distribution.

Numerous accidents involving autonomous vehicles can be traced back to an interruption in the data or power supply to safety-related and driving dynamics components of an on-board network. In order to reduce risks due to interruptions in the data or power supply to vehicle electrical system components, it is known to create redundancies in a vehicle's vehicle electrical system. This increases the wiring effort between the components and thus also the overall weight of the vehicle electrical system.

WO2013/041351 A1 discloses a method of operating a communications network and a network arrangement that operates with the method. The operating method can be used in particular in an Ethernet environment.

Out of CA2585040A1 shows a control device for a power control unit of a means of transport. This contains a first and a second electronic control unit which are connected to one another, with the first and the second electronic control unit being able to be connected to a first and a second power device, respectively.

US6900555 B2 shows a power supply system for a vehicle that can prevent the propagation of adverse effects to other control modules within a plurality of control modules.

DE 10 2018 220 830 A1 FIG. 12 shows a circuit body for a vehicle wired to a vehicle body of the vehicle for performing supply of electric power to an electric component and communication of various communication signals.

WO 2019/116793 A1 discloses an in-vehicle system that includes a plurality of detectors.

Out of WO 2019/133020 A1 emerge systems showing a dielectric waveguide connecting sensor nodes to an ECU in a ring architecture used in autonomous and/or self-driving vehicles.

US2002/0084757 A1 shows a steer-by-wire system for vehicles, which includes a first network.

DE 198 11 626 A1 discloses a vehicle power system that includes a battery and multiple power distribution units connected in a loop across power supply lines.

Out of DE 199 16 452 C2 is a device for a power ring as a ring line in a military vehicle for the electrical supply of devices.

DE 103 17 362 A1 shows a vehicle electrical system with a loop and at least three sub-networks connected to it.

Against this background, the object of the invention is to increase the reliability of a vehicle electrical system with little additional weight.

This object is achieved according to the invention with the features of patent claim 1 .

• - ein Bordnetz mit einem Prozessorverbund für ein Fahrzeug zur Datenverarbeitung und Leistungsverteilung, wobei der Prozessorverbund wenigstens eine erste Prozessoreinheit, eine zweite Prozessoreinheit, sowie eine dritte Prozessoreinheit mit jeweils wenigstens einem ersten Prozessor, einem zweiten Prozessor sowie einem dritten Prozessor, einer ersten Spannungsquelle, einer zweiten Spannungsquelle und einer dritten Spannungsquelle sowie insbesondere wenigstens eine Schnittstelle zu mehreren Fahrzeugsensoren und/oder zu einem zentralen Datenspeicher aufweist, wobei die wenigstens drei Prozessoreinheiten mit wenigstens drei dielektrischen Datenleitungen derart verbunden sind, dass die Prozessoreinheiten Knoten und die Datenleitungen Kanten eines Kreisgraphs bilden.

Accordingly, it is provided:

• - An on-board network with a processor network for a vehicle for data processing and power distribution, the processor network having at least a first processor unit, a second processor unit and a third processor unit, each with at least a first processor, a second processor and a third processor, a first voltage source, a second voltage source and a third voltage source and in particular at least one interface to a plurality of vehicle sensors and/or to a central data memory, the at least three processor units being connected to at least three dielectric data lines in such a way that the processor units form nodes and the data lines form edges of a circular graph.

The term multi-core processor (derived from the English term multi-core processor or multi-core processor) designates a processor with more than one complete main processor core in one chip. All resources, with the exception of the bus and possibly some caches, are duplicated. It is therefore a matter of several complete, largely independent CPU cores including their own register sets and arithmetic-logical unit (ALU).

A dual-core processor (also called a dual-core processor) is a multi-core processor with two main processors. microprocessors with a main processor is referred to as a single-core processor (also single-core processor). Microprocessors with three main processors are called triple-core processors or three-core processors. This terminology can be continued accordingly. With four cores, one speaks of a four-core processor (also quad-core processor), whereby a four-core processor can consist of two double-core processors or four independent cores.

Multi-threaded CPUs are multi-threaded processor cores with multiple program counters and register sets, which report to the system as multiple cores. Multi-threaded processors are also multi-core processors.

A graphics processor (English graphics processing unit, short GPU) is a specialized and optimized processor for the calculation of graphics for computers, game consoles and smartphones. In addition, it outputs the calculated graphics to a display. Graphics processors can be found on graphics cards, CPUs with an integrated graphics unit, on the motherboard (onboard, as an integrated graphics processor) and on expansion cards (plug-in cards). In the latter case, multiple GPUs on one graphics card or multiple graphics cards per computer are possible.

A network of several functional units are functional units that are connected to one another in order to guarantee a specific functionality. In this case, the network ensures multiple functionality compared to an equal number of individual functional units that are not organized in a network. This can affect the fail-safety of a network, for example.

The vehicle electrical system is the entirety of all electrical components in vehicles such as automobiles, aircraft, ships and railways. The vehicle electrical system ensures the power supply and the flow of information between components and control units. The electrical components of a vehicle electrical system include u. the wiring and on-board voltage sockets, control units, sensors, display elements, e.g. B. warning and indicator lights, displays, actuators, z. B. electric motors, lights and lighting systems, bus systems, energy storage such. B. batteries and accumulators, generators.

In the circuit theory of electrical engineering, a voltage source is an active two-terminal network that supplies an electrical voltage between its connection points. A voltage source serves as an electrical energy source that supplies electrical current depending on the connected load. It also occurs as a supplier of electrical signals. A voltage source is also called a current source. Batteries or generators are voltage sources, for example.

Alternatively, the voltage source can include at least one energy source or energy store, which is distributed over a number of meshes. The meshes can be switched off separately. The shutdown can be done by passive and / or active elements. As a result, the individual meshes are independent and mutually robust against individual errors (short circuit/interruption within the mesh). If the meshes are fed by several energy sources or energy storage devices, this increases the availability of the entire system.

A sensor, also known as a detector, (measuring variable or measurement) pickup or (measuring) probe, is a technical component that detects certain physical, chemical properties or states, e.g. B. temperature, humidity, pressure, speed, brightness, acceleration, pH, ionic strength, electrochemical potential and / or the material properties of its environment can be qualitatively or quantitatively detected as a measurand. These variables are recorded using physical or chemical effects and converted into an electrical signal that can be further processed as sensor data. Vehicle sensors are mounted on a vehicle to sense a vehicle environment. Sensor data that is recorded by vehicle sensors is vehicle environment-related sensor data.

Actuators are the counterpart to sensors in terms of signal converters and form the control elements in a control loop. During a control process, they convert the signals into effects - through mechanical work in motion control - with which the controlled variable is influenced. An example is opening and closing a valve.

An interface is a device between at least two functional units, at which an exchange of logical quantities, e.g. data, or physical quantities, e.g. electrical signals, takes place, either unidirectionally or bidirectionally. The exchange can be analogue or digital. The exchange can also be wired or wireless.

A man-machine interface or Human Machine Interface (HMI) allows an operator to operate a machine, an electrical or electronic device and optionally to observe machine states and intervene in a controllable process. The provision of information (“feedback”) can take place via control panels with signal lamps, display fields or buttons or via software via a visualization system that runs on a terminal, for example. An example of an HMI is a light switch. The driver's area of a vehicle also has numerous HMIs - from the command transmitters (pedals, steering wheel, shift and indicator lever, etc.) to the visual feedback of the "machine" vehicle (displays for speed, range, radio program, navigation system, etc.) .

A circle graph, or circle for short, is a class of graphs of simple structure in graph theory. A circle graph always has the same number of nodes as edges, with all nodes in the circle being connected to one another. A network topology in the form of a circular graph is called a ring topology.

In graph theory, a node or corner is an element of the node set of a graph. In addition to the set of nodes, graphs also consist of an associated set of edges, which describes how the individual nodes of the graph are connected by edges.

In graph theory, an edge denotes a part of a graph. An edge indicates whether two nodes are related to each other, or whether they are connected in the pictorial representation of the graph. In a directed graph, an edge is an ordered pair of vertices, in an undirected graph, an edge is a set of two vertices. Two nodes connected by an edge are called adjacent.

A dielectric data line, such as fiber optic lines or other dielectric waveguides (DWG), conducts signals in a dielectric. A dielectric is an electrically weak or non-conductive substance in which the existing charge carriers cannot move freely. A dielectric can be a gas, liquid or solid. The term dielectric is used in particular when there is an electric field in the spatial area under consideration.

A core is a single line of a dielectric/electrical transmission medium, e.g. a connector or a cable.

A central data store is, for example, a cloud, ie a storage space that is provided as a service over the Internet. A user or a user group with a large number of members can have access to a central data store.

Vehicles are land, water or air vehicles with or without a drive.

According to the invention, a processor network is created from at least three processors and associated data lines that connect the processors, with the processors being set up to distribute the loads that occur to the remaining processors if one processor fails.

According to the invention, each processor forms a processor unit together with a voltage source. The voltage source can be set up to provide an entire voltage supply for a processor unit or to merely bridge short-term voltage drops or voltage failures of a voltage supply using a central voltage source. If the voltage source has a bridging function, the voltage source of a processor unit serves as a so-called buffer memory.

According to the invention, the processor units and the data lines are arranged in accordance with a circular graph, with the processor units forming nodes and the data lines forming edges of the graph. Accordingly, the processor units are arranged in a ring. It is thus possible to bridge a failed processor or processor unit by connecting the adjacent processors or processor units of the failed processor. For this purpose, a bridging circuit for a failed processor can be provided in a processor unit. The bridging circuit can then be activated as required.

It is thus possible to organize the computing power and power supply of an on-board network in a decentralized manner. If the processor units are each arranged in the vicinity of a sensor system and/or actuator system to which the respective processor unit is to be connected, then the cabling, ie the weight of cabling and the length of cabling, can be reduced. This also gains installation space.

If a processor unit fails, the other processor units can take over the tasks, for example the processing of sensor data or the data processing of data from a central data memory, of the failed processor unit or initiate measures that prevent an unwanted malfunction.

If the failure of a processor unit can no longer be dealt with by the remaining processor units, it is conceivable that a vehicle to initiate braking or to stop at the edge of the road with the help of an assistance system.

Advantageous refinements and developments result from the further dependent claims and from the description with reference to the figures of the drawing.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the dielectric data lines are designed as glass fiber lines. This significantly reduces the risk of a cable fire or line fire.

It is also expedient here to use a dielectric data line with at least two cores, a so-called dual-channel connection. This allows additional redundancies to be created and/or latencies to be reduced.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the processor network has four processor units, the four processor units being connected to four dielectric data lines in such a way that the processor units form nodes and the data lines form edges of a circular graph.

In this way, loads can be better distributed in the event of a processor unit failure, or the loads on the remaining processor units can be reduced. Furthermore, an increase in the number of processor units enables increasing decentralization of the vehicle electrical system structure. This means that processor units can be arranged closer to a sensor or actuator to be connected.

This reduces the wiring effort.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the processor network has five processor units, the five processor units being connected to five dielectric data lines in such a way that the processor units form nodes and the data lines form edges of a circular graph.

The processor network can thus also recognize that two processor units have failed or are corrupted.

It goes without saying that it can be provided that the three, four, five or more processor units can be designed for identical loads, i.e. with similar hardware and similar hardware architecture, or that one or more main processor units and one or more secondary processor units can be provided, the main processor units being significantly more powerful than the slave processor units.

For example, it can be provided that a processor unit is designed to supply high-voltage components and the other processor units are designed to supply a different voltage level, e.g. 12 V components.

It can also be expedient if the 12 V processor units are arranged in a front part of the vehicle, near an optical sensor system, and the high-voltage processor unit(s) in a rear part of the vehicle, near a central energy source for electric operation of the vehicle is/are arranged.

According to a preferred development of the invention, at least one processor unit has at least one interface to an actuator in order to transmit control commands from the processor unit to an actuator. The vehicle electrical system can therefore also be used to control an autonomously driving vehicle or a vehicle with active assistance functions.

According to a preferred development of the invention, at least one processor unit has a multi-core processor and/or a graphics processor. A so-called high-performance processor unit for processing large volumes of data with short computing times can thus be provided.

According to a preferred development of the invention, each processor unit has a switch-off function that is set up to switch off another processor unit. It goes without saying that for this purpose each processor unit has means for bridging a failed processor of the processor unit within the processor unit. This means that the processor unit itself is not bridged during the data line or power transmission, but the processor unit remains as a node in the processor network and only the processor of the processor unit is bridged.

It goes without saying that a vehicle with an on-board network as described above is advantageous.

• 1 eine schematische Prinzipskizze eines Fahrzeugs mit einem Bordnetz gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 2 eine schematische Prinzipskizze eines Fahrzeugs mit einem Bordnetz gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 3 eine schematische Prinzipskizze eines Fahrzeugs mit einem Bordnetz gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;
• 4 eine schematische Prinzipskizze eines Fahrzeugs mit einem Bordnetz gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments given in the schematic figures of the drawings. They show:

• 1 a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle with an on-board network according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 2 a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle with an on-board network according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 3 a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle with an on-board network according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 4 a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle with an on-board network according to an embodiment of the invention;

The accompanying drawings are provided to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the foregoing advantages will become apparent by reference to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale with respect to one another.

In the figures of the drawings, elements, features and components that are identical, have the same function and have the same effect--unless stated otherwise--are each provided with the same reference symbols.

1 shows a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle 10 with a processor network according to an embodiment of the invention. The processor network includes three processor units 11, 12, 13. The first processor unit is located in a rear part of the vehicle, whereas the second and the third processor unit 12, 13 are located in the front of the vehicle. The processor units 11, 12 and 13 each comprise a multi-core processor 16, 17 and 18, respectively, a graphics processor 19, 20 and 21 respectively and a voltage buffer memory 22, 23 and 24 respectively.

The processor units 11, 12, 13 are connected via a two-wire POF cable in order to ensure data exchange. The first processor unit 11 is connected to the second processor unit 12 via the data line 25.1 and the third processor unit 13 via the data line 25.3, the second processor unit 12 is connected to the first processor unit 11 via the data line 25.1 and the third processor unit 13 via the data line 25.2 and the third Processor unit 13 connected to the second processor unit 12 via the data line 25.2 and the first processor unit 11 via the data line 25.3 in a processor unit ring. The arrangement of the processor units 11, 12, 13 corresponds to the arrangement in a circular graph, with the processor units forming nodes and the two-wire POF cable 25 forming edges.

The 2 and 3 each show a schematic outline sketch of a similar vehicle according to FIG 1 . The vehicle in 2 includes as opposed to 1 four processor units 11, 12, 13, 14, whereas the vehicle according to 3 comprises five processor units 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Accordingly 1 are also the processor units in the 2 and 3 arranged in a ring, i.e. in a circular graph, and each includes a multi-core processor, a graphics processor and a buffer memory for voltage. The processor units in the 2 and 3 are connected to each other via a two-wire POF cable.

4 shows a schematic outline sketch of a vehicle with a processor network similar to 2 . The processor network according to 4 includes accordingly 2 four processor units 11, 12, 13, 14. The processor network or the processor units of the processor network include in 4 a large number of interfaces to sensors, actuators and a human-machine interface 31.

Accordingly, the processor units 12, 13 in the front of the vehicle each have an interface to sensors 29 in the front of the vehicle, namely a radar sensor, lidar sensor and a camera, as well as an interface to the human-machine interface 31 and to an infotainment system of the vehicle. Accordingly, the processor units 12, 13 are specifically designed to process data from the radar sensor, the lidar sensor and the camera.

The processor units 11, 14 at the rear of the vehicle each include an interface to a telematics system 30, which includes a GPS sensor, and to sensors 28 at the rear of the vehicle. These include in 4 a radar sensor and a camera.

Accordingly, the rear processor units 11 and 14 are specifically designed to process the sensor data from the sensors 28 at the rear of the vehicle and from the telematics system 30 . In order to ensure this, it can be advantageous for the processor units 11, 14 at the rear of the vehicle to differ from the processor units 12, 13 at the front of the vehicle.

In addition, the processor units 11, 12 on the left-hand side are connected to sensors or actuators 27 that are installed in the vehicle on the left-hand side. These include, for example, sensors or actuators that are coupled to a side rear-view mirror or a side vehicle door.

Furthermore, the processor units 13, 14 are on the right side of the vehicle with sensors Ren or actuators 26 connected to the right side of the vehicle. It goes without saying that the processor units 11, 12 on the right-hand side are also specifically designed to process data from the sensors or actuators 27 on the left-hand side of the vehicle and the processor units 13, 14 are specifically designed to process data from the sensors or actuators 26 of the to process on the right side of the vehicle. It goes without saying that it can be expedient for the processor units 11, 12 on the left-hand side of the vehicle to differ from the processor units 13, 14 on the right-hand side of the vehicle.

Accordingly, it can also be advantageous for four different processor units 11, 12, 13, 14 to be installed in the vehicle.

Reference List

10

Vehicle.

11

processor unit

12

processor unit

13

processor unit

14

processor unit

15

processor unit

16

multi-core processor

17

multi-core processor

18

multi-core processor

19

GPU

20

GPU

21

GPU

22

buffer storage

23

buffer storage

24

buffer storage

25

dielectric data line

25.1

dielectric data line

25.2

dielectric data line

25.3

dielectric data line

26

sensors or actuators

27

sensors or actuators

28

sensors

29

sensors

30

telematics system

31

human-machine interface

Claims (8)

Vehicle electrical system with a processor network for a vehicle (10) for data processing and power distribution, - wherein the processor network has at least a first processor unit (11), a second processor unit (12) and a third processor unit (13), the first processor unit having at least a first processor (16; 19) and a first voltage source (22), the second processor unit has at least one second processor (17; 20) and a second voltage source and the third processor unit has at least one third processor (18; 21) and a third voltage source (24), and the processor units have in particular at least one interface to a plurality of vehicle sensors (26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31) and/or to a central data store, - wherein the at least three processor units (11, 12, 13) are connected to at least three dielectric data lines (25.1, 25.2, 25.3) in such a way that the processor units form nodes and the data lines (25.1, 25.2, 25.3) form edges of a circular graph. on-board network claim 1 , wherein the dielectric data lines (25.1, 25.2, 25.3) are each designed as a glass fiber line with in particular at least two cores. Vehicle electrical system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor network has four processor units (11; 12; 13; 14), the four processor units (11; 12; 13; 14) being connected to at least four dielectric data lines (25) in such a way that the Processor units (11; 12; 13; 14) form nodes and the data lines (25) form edges of a circular graph. Vehicle electrical system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor network has five processor units (11; 12; 13; 14; 15), the five processor units (11; 12; 13; 14; 15) being connected in this way to at least five dielectric data lines (25). are that the processor units (11; 12; 13; 14; 15) form nodes and the data lines (25) form edges of a circular graph. Vehicle electrical system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one processor unit (11; 12; 13; 14; 15) has at least one interface to an actuator (26; 27) in order to receive control commands from the processor unit (11; 12; 13; 14; 15 ) to an actuator (26; 27). Vehicle electrical system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one processor unit (11; 12; 13; 14; 15) has a multi-core processor (16; 17; 18) and/or a graphics processor (19; 20; 21). Vehicle electrical system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each processor unit (11; 12; 13; 14; 15) has a switch-off function which is set up to switch off another processor unit (11; 12; 13; 14; 15). Vehicle with an on-board network according to one of the preceding claims.

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